Systems are known to evacuate people from public spaces in case of emergency. For example, a fire, a toxic gas leak, a bomb threat, or other risk to the safety or health of human occupants may necessitate the need for evacuation of a shopping mall or trade fair.
In some cases, the detection of a threat may simply result in the activation of one or more visual/audible alarms and notification of a local police and/or fire departments. People, upon hearing or seeing an alarm indicator, may simply evacuate a space. As police and fire personnel arrive, they may help direct the evacuation process.
Other systems may be based upon the use of one or more public address systems. Public address system(s) may be activated as needed and used to provide verbal directions in the event of an emergency.
In large areas covering many blocks, a separate public address system may be needed for each area. This may be necessary in order to avoid routing people across hazardous areas.
While such systems work relatively well, they are not always as effective as they should be. In some cases, the relative size of a public area may cause some people to think that the threat is limited to a nearby building.
In other areas with multiple public address systems, a message may be confusing. People hearing messages from neighboring public address systems may be confused as to which message to follow.
While some confusion is to be expected, the risk of death and/or injury in crowded public spaces may be extreme. Accordingly, a need exists for better methods of informing occupants of the need to evacuate such spaces.